Zhongzi Group 01 (x5) - CZ-6 - TSLC - November 13, 2019 (06:35 UTC)

• Zhongzi Group 01 (x5) - CZ-6 - TSLC - November 13, 2019 (06:35 UTC) by Galactic Penguin SST on 11 Nov, 2019 12:23
• So earlier today a NOTAM appeared that shows a strange "drop zone" that points towards Taiyuan for a possible launch tomorrow:
  
  A5702/19 - A TEMPORARY RESTRICTED AREA ESTABLISHED BOUNDED BY: N341301E1212223-N334214E1221547-N332429E1220101-N335508E1210744 BACK TO START.VERTICAL LIMITS:GND-UNL. ALL ACFT SHALL BE FORBIDDEN TO FLY INTO THE RESTRICTED AREA. GND - UNL, 12 NOV 06:23 2019 UNTIL 12 NOV 07:15 2019. CREATED: 11 NOV 07:14 2019
  
  https://twitter.com/LaunchStuff/status/1193797379922780160
  
  I have never seen any satellite launch out of Taiyuan going to such a low inclination orbit, but the drop zone does point to there....
  
  Originally most people are guessing that this is Long March 6 s/n Y4, which the AALPT (responsible for the YF-100 and YF-115 engines) team had their pre-launch work meeting on October 14. However some latest news point to a Long March 2D launch instead (one says it's s/n Y51). That would be very puzzling with the GF-7 launch being just 8 days ago.....unless they pull the old LC-7 pad out for its first satellite launch in more than a decade, or somehow compress the pad flow by half. 
  
  Alas no identifiable payload are known for either of them, or in fact any Chinese spacecraft going to a 40-ish degree inclination orbit. It could even theoretically be a missile but I very much doubt it at this stage.
  
  Question marks, question marks..... 
• #1 by Satori on 11 Nov, 2019 14:01
• Delayed to the 13th.
• #2 by input~2 on 12 Nov, 2019 09:28
• 
  T0 around 06:30 UTC
  
  A5709/19 -  A TEMPORARY RESTRICTED AREA ESTABLISHED BOUNDED BY: N341301E1212223-N334214E1221547-N332429E1220101-N335508E1210744 BACK TO START.VERTICAL LIMITS:GND-UNL. ALL ACFT SHALL BE FORBIDDEN TO FLY INTO THE RESTRICTED AREA. GND - UNL, 13 NOV 06:23 2019 UNTIL 13 NOV 07:15 2019. CREATED: 11 NOV 14:14 2019
• #3 by Galactic Penguin SST on 12 Nov, 2019 13:09
• According to latest reports the Long March 6 theory seems more likely, with "Ningxia 1" being one of the satellites onboard and a classified payload as the main one.
• #4 by Steven Pietrobon on 13 Nov, 2019 04:30
• SFF page (has launch at 6:29 UTC).
  
  http://www.spaceflightfans.cn/event/china-long-march-6-rocket-launch-ningxia-1-satellite?instance_id=2893
  
  9ifly thread (has launch at ~6:25 UTC).
  
  http://www.9ifly.cn/thread-92653-5-1.html
  
  
• #5 by Steven Pietrobon on 13 Nov, 2019 04:35
• This post indicates there are six Ningxia-1 satellites.
  
  "It is said to be six Ningxia-1 satellites, is it a basket of potatoes?"
  
  http://www.9ifly.cn/forum.php?mod=redirect&goto=findpost&ptid=92653&pid=691791
• #6 by Steven Pietrobon on 13 Nov, 2019 05:30
• Launch should be happening about now.
• #7 by Steven Pietrobon on 13 Nov, 2019 05:53
• Unconfirmed report of launch.
  
  "Someone said they went up."
  
  http://www.9ifly.cn/forum.php?mod=redirect&goto=findpost&ptid=92653&pid=691852

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• #8 by Steven Pietrobon on 13 Nov, 2019 06:07
• Apparently launch success!
  
  "The microblog has already said the launch was a success."
  
  http://www.9ifly.cn/forum.php?mod=redirect&goto=findpost&ptid=92653&pid=691861
• #9 by Galactic Penguin SST on 13 Nov, 2019 06:12
• Seems like mission is still on-going and confirmation won't come until around 08:30 UTC.
• #10 by Steven Pietrobon on 13 Nov, 2019 06:15
• Looks like launch was at 6:29 UTC.
  
  http://www.9ifly.cn/forum.php?mod=redirect&goto=findpost&ptid=92653&pid=691862

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• #11 by Steven Pietrobon on 13 Nov, 2019 06:17
• Five satellites are reported to have been launched.
  
  "Space insights
  3 minutes ago from Android
  The Long March 6 rocket has successfully launched five satellites from Ningxia One, and it is estimated that the big red screen, which declared the mission a complete success, will have to wait until about 4:30 p.m."
  
  http://www.9ifly.cn/forum.php?mod=redirect&goto=findpost&ptid=92653&pid=691868
• #12 by Steven Pietrobon on 13 Nov, 2019 06:35
• Launch video.
  
  https://m.weibo.cn/s/video/index?object_id=1042151%3A4438188156996839&segment_id=4438188156996839

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• #13 by Steven Pietrobon on 13 Nov, 2019 06:58
• Launch photo.
  
  "Takeoff Picture: At about 14:29 on November 13, 2019, the Long March 6 carrier rocket successfully launched five satellites, including Ningxia 1, less than 3 hours from the interval between China's last space launch!"
  
  https://www.weibo.com/3279752321/Ig1zuudwD?type=comment#_rnd1573631860534

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• #14 by Galactic Penguin SST on 13 Nov, 2019 07:21
• Seems like launch success has been declared, but the source only wrote about the 5 satellites of Ningxia-1 (mentioned as commercial EO satellites), without the rumored "classified payload", and it also forgot to add the T-0 previously reported as "around" 06:29 UTC).
  
  More clarification is needed at this time.
• #15 by Galactic Penguin SST on 13 Nov, 2019 07:32
• Another source gave a 06:35 UTC T-0 and also only mentions Ningxia-1....
• #16 by Galactic Penguin SST on 13 Nov, 2019 07:38
• Quote from: Galactic Penguin SST on 13 Nov, 2019 07:32

  Another source gave a 06:35 UTC T-0 and also only mentions Ningxia-1....
  

  
  CASC agrees with this version so use this as official launch success confirmation.
• #17 by Steven Pietrobon on 13 Nov, 2019 07:39
• Launch success! Launch was at 6:35 UTC.
  
  "On November 13th, at 14:35, the Long March 6 carrier rocket carried out a five-star launch at the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center, accurately putting five Ningxia-1 satellites (also known as the Zhongzi satellite) into orbit, and the launch was a complete success.
  ...
  This mission is the first low-angle launch of the Long March 6 carrier rocket, in response to the mission needs, the rocket has made a series of technical upgrades, including take-off roll, horizontal guidance, new composite material double-walled mount barrel and so on. In the future, the Long March 6 carrier rocket will usher in a busy international and domestic commercial order performance period."
  
  https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/a5n14m1j-tH0tufDabEByg
• #18 by whiztech on 13 Nov, 2019 08:31
• Xinhua English
  
  http://www.xinhuanet.com/english/2019-11/13/c_138552029.htm
  
  

  Quote

  TAIYUAN, Nov. 13 (Xinhua) -- Five new remote-sensing satellites were sent into planned orbit from the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center in north China's Shanxi Province Wednesday.
  
  The five Ningxia-1 satellites were launched by a Long March-6 carrier rocket at 2:35 p.m. (Beijing Time).
  
  The satellites are part of a commercial satellite project invested by the Ningxia Jingui Information Technology Co., Ltd. and will be mainly used for remote sensing detection.
  
  The satellites and carrier rocket were developed by the DFH Satellite Co., Ltd. and the Shanghai Academy of Spaceflight Technology.
  
  Wednesday's launch was the 318th mission for the Long March series carrier rockets.
• #19 by Satori on 13 Nov, 2019 09:38
• Launch patch.

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